IGN: How much of a planet's surface can you actually explore, or is there any exploration at all in the game? How large are the maps on which battles take place, and how many are planned to be in the game?

Hilmar Petursson: The planets shared between EVE Online and Dust 514 are divided into districts, some of which are perfect for ground combat. As DUST 514 is focused on being a kickass first person shooter, there isn't a big exploration aspect to the game. However, the maps are each 5km x 5km, so you can expect some wide diversity within them.

IGN: Is it possible for console DUST 514 players and PC EVE players to interact in real-time, to pull off some kind of coordinated attack like an orbital weapon barrage?

Hilmar Petursson: At this time we're not able to discuss the real-time communication possibilities apart from what can be achieved on the social communication platform we are developing for EVE Online's next expansion.

Large-scale, sci-fi combat.

IGN: How do the results of DUST 514 matches affect the world of EVE, and how visible will these effects be to DUST players?

Hilmar Petursson: The fundamental change is in the control of planets, which can end up belonging to EVE corporations or DUST 514 corporations. Changes in occupation and sovereignty will be very visible to each DUST mercenary.

IGN: Will this be a subscription-based game? If not, could you talk about what kind of pricing model might be used and some of the reasons why?

Hilmar Petursson: A subscription will not be required to play DUST 514. In order to achieve our dual goals of making a game that has meaningful character progression and one that you can jump into quickly, we are adding a virtual goods-based micro-transaction model while being very careful about not allowing anyone to "buy a win".

IGN: What's the goal of a fight in DUST 514, are you just trying to wipe out everyone on the other team? Are there respawns? If you're killed in battle, do you lose money or equipment or anything like that?

Hilmar Petursson: The goal of a match in DUST 514 is to destroy the opposing Mobile Command Center (MCC), which is the key control structure of a match. The MCC is a massive dropship that usually hovers above the bases belonging to the team that owns it. Respawns are enabled through special cloning technology which is different than the cloning technology that EVE capsuleers use. You will be able to read all about the tech in the third EVE novel due out next year.

IGN: Do you anticipate a significant portion of the current EVE playerbase might gravitate over to DUST 514? Or maybe start with DUST 514 and wind up playing EVE, or both? I ask because it seems like very different styles of gameplay that cater to very different styles of players.

Hilmar Petursson: We are aiming to satisfy wildly different styles of play, so we will probably see different players and communities forming for each game. Sure, there will be some that enjoy both perspectives of the universe, but we're designing both such that it's not required. EVE Online is on a very aggressive development path now, so I would assume that our current player base will be very preoccupied with that, and DUST 514 will attract new types of players to the EVE universe.

The gameplay mixes first-person shooting with controllable vehicles.

IGN: What kind of state is DUST 514 in right now, and is there any kind of window being targeted for when it might be available? Will there be any kind of beta testing, closed or open, that interested gamers might be able to sign up for?

Hilmar Petursson: There will absolutely be some forms of open testing, as such a complex gaming experience is very difficult to balance without it. We have various internal milestones, but fundamentally, DUST 514 will be launched when it's ready.

IGN: Will DUST 514 players have to wait around for EVE players to issue directives, or can they just jump into conflicts whenever they want?

Hilmar Petursson: DUST 514 players can drive their own agendas. In addition, there is also an NPC-based political landscape, similar to EVE Online, that keeps things lively. There's always going to be targets to shoot at.